One
by JLaLa
Summary: "Katniss," her sister responded mockingly. "You need this. One night. One night of pure debauchery." One night, one miscommunication, one baby. An Everlark AU loosely based on "Knocked Up". Banner by Ro Nordmann.
1. Part One: Pre-Conception

In which I try to write a fic _loosely _based on one of my favorite movies, "Knocked Up".

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, beta extraordinaire, who I constantly bug with new chapters and new stories—like this one.

One

By JLaLa

Part One: Pre-Conception

"I'M IN!"

Katniss had been waiting for the letter for weeks. Today, it arrived in a large manila envelope; she had been accepted into her first choice—John Hopkins.

She was going to medical school.

Running out the door of her apartment—which was actually her best friend's pool house—she threw open the door and ran into Johanna's kitchen.

Her friend turned to her while she placed a bowl of cereal on the table for her daughter, Jenna. "Well?"

"I got in!" she said and waved the letter at her.

Johanna made a grab for the letter so she could read it.

"Well, thank God you got in; I thought you were going to go insane waiting for this thing. In a year—you're going to learn how to open people up and get paid millions for it. Congratulations, Doctor Everdeen!"

The two embraced excitedly.

Since high school, Katniss had worked her hardest to be on top—she was valedictorian and in the top 5 percentile in their school.

In college, she graduated pre-med with top honors and had volunteered at the local hospitals for experience.

"So, we're finally getting rid of you." They turned to see Gale, Johanna's husband and her other best friend, walking into the kitchen. "Congratulations, Catnip." He ruffled the top of her head playfully.

"In a year," Katniss replied with a grin. "Enough time for me to get prepared—I just need some time to relax. I studied for months for the MCAT'S and I need a break."

"You need to get wasted," Johanna told her.

"Mommy, what's 'get wasted' mean?" Jenna looked up at them curiously. She was four, with Gale's grey eyes and Johanna's piercing stare.

"It's something that you're never going to do," Gale told her and kissed the top of her head.

"We need to go out," Johanna said and turned to her husband. "What do you think?"

"Rory is going to be working at this new club downtown on Friday," Gale told them. "Why don't we go?" He turned to Katniss. "Call Prim up, too, because I know he would LOVE to see her."

Her younger sister, Prim, had been Rory's crush for as long as they could remember. The Everdeens and Hawthornes had been neighbors in the suburbs of Central California.

Johanna lived across the street from them with her family. She was an only child, so she often found herself at one of their houses.

"I'll give her a call. She just finished her last final two days ago," Katniss replied.

Prim was finishing up her second year at UCLA and pursuing a degree in Art History.

"So, Friday?" Johanna repeated.

Katniss agreed. "Friday."

* * *

"Peeta."

"Hmm…"

"PEETA!" The soft foam football hit his back and he jumped out of bed quickly.

Thresh, his roommate, grinned at him. "Get the fuck up, man—it's noon."

"And?" Peeta rubbed his back. He had just come home from a bartending gig four hours ago.

"Everyone else is awake," Thresh informed him. "Also, we need your piece of the rent."

"Crap." He opened his bedside drawer, pulling out random bills, then clumped them into a ball as he handed them to his friend.

Thresh raised his brow. "Dude, you need a checking account."

"I'll get to it."

Together, they walked out of his room and into the living room where the rest of his roommates sat. Finnick and his girlfriend, Annie, sat on the couch engrossed in an episode of Maury as they ate Spaghetti-O's from the same bowl.

"Hey, Peeta, want some?" Annie asked and lifted her spoon to him. She gave him a serene smile.

Peeta stared at her buzzed green eyes before shaking his head. "No, thanks."

"NOT THE FATHER!" Finnick screamed and then turned to their last roommate, Cato, who sat in the lounger. "Pay up!"

"Shit." Cato reached into his pocket and tossed Finnick a twenty.

Peeta and Thresh exchanged glances.

"I don't know why I stay with you fools," Thresh said.

"'Cause we're the shit," Cato responded with a grin.

He turned to Peeta. "You got a call from your agency. They need you for some gig on Friday—some new club downtown. I wrote down the address for you."

Peeta went over to the table where their rotary phone sat. "There's nothing written here."

Finnick and Annie looked up at him. Annie let out a giggle which she tried to cover with the palm of her hand.

"What?" Peeta asked. "WHAT?"

"I have to go," Thresh told them and reached into his pocket to grab his keys before turning back to Peeta.

"Check your forehead, bro."

* * *

_**Friday**_

"I'M HERE!"

Katniss ran out of her bedroom and Prim threw herself against her older sister. They tried to spend as much time as they could together over the past months, but with Katniss studying for her MCAT'S and Prim at school full-time—it left them with very little opportunity to see each other.

When she called her little sister, Prim accepted right away.

"I missed you!" Katniss said and put an arm around her then looked her over. "What are you wearing?"

"Clubwear." Prim twirled, showing off the deep V in the back of her black sequin dress. The skirt barely reached her knees and on her feet were a pair of platform stilettos. Her long blond hair was piled prettily in a high bun on top of her head.

Damn her supermodel looks.

Then Prim looked at her. "What are YOU wearing?"

"Clubwear," Katniss replied as she presented her white tank and jeans.

"No." Prim pushed her towards her bedroom. "Johanna told me this would happen."

"What—?" The two entered her room and Katniss looked over her reflection in her vanity mirror.

"This is not cute," Prim said and opened her closet. "You need to get laid, big sister."

"Primrose!" she scolded.

"Katniss," her sister responded mockingly. "You need this. One night. One night of pure debauchery." Prim took out a silk red dress with slinky neckline and tight waist from the small closet. "Put this on and I'll go get Johanna's curling iron."

"But-"

Prim was already leaving the room.

"Dammit!" Katniss tossed off her tank top and began to unbutton her jeans. She looked at the dress—it was a spur of the moment buy that Johanna had pressured her into getting.

"AND DON'T FORGET SOME SEXY UNDERWEAR!" Prim screamed before closing the door to her place.

* * *

"Hey, Peeta!"

Peeta turned to see Rory Hawthorne, the club's new DJ, in front of him. The two had met through the club circuit, so he wasn't surprised to see the young man at the newest club in downtown Los Angeles.

"What's up, man?" The two shook hands.

"Looks like we're in for a busy night," Rory said and Peeta handed him a bottle of water. It could get rather hot at the DJ's booth. "Listen. My brother, his wife, and my old neighbors are coming out tonight. I was wondering if maybe you could do a hook up for them."

"Sure," Peeta said easily. "What do they look like?"

"Gale looks like me, but scarier," Rory said with a grin. "Johanna, his wife, is a brunette with bobbed hair. Not sure how my neighbors look now—they're sisters. One's a blonde and the other one has black hair—well, it was pretty dark from what I remember."

"I'll look out for them."

"Thanks," Rory replied. "Truth is—I had this huge crush on Prim—she's the blonde. I'm wondering how she's looking now."

"Well, I hope she's as cute as she was before," Peeta replied. "You'd better get up there. I think I hear them letting people in."

Rory waved before departing and he sighed. He could hear the beginning beats of a Lady Gaga song.

Here goes nothing.

* * *

_**Two Hours Later**_

"I see Rory!" Prim said as they walked into the club.

Katniss looked up at the stage to see Rory behind the turntables in full DJ mode. He had his headphones on and was switching his record when he spotted them. He gave them a quick wave.

"Where are Gale and Johanna?" Katniss asked as they walked through the club.

"They said that would be here in an hour," Prim said into her ear. "Let's get some drinks."

"You can't drink," Katniss replied.

"Knowing Rory," her sister responded. "Someone will give us a drink and come on—look at you."

"What about me?"

The dress wasn't horrible and Prim had accessorized it with a gold belt that showed off her waist. On her feet was a pair of simple black stilettos that she borrowed from Johanna's closet.

Prim had also curled her dark hair so that it hit her shoulders in smooth waves. She completed the look by lining her eyes and placing a light peach gloss on her lips.

"You look hot," Prim replied. "Ripe for the picking."

The two sisters went to the bar and found a tight spot towards the end. The bar was full of people and the bartenders were trying to fill as many orders as they could.

"I'm going to say hi to Rory and make a request," Prim said into her ear.

Katniss nodded and turned to watch her disappear into the crowded dance floor.

"_You loved me and I froze in time  
Hungry for that flesh of mine  
But I can't compete with the she-wolf, who has brought me to my knees…"_

"What can I get you?"

Katniss turned and found herself meeting the eyes of a handsome blonde. He was about a head taller than her and even in the dim light of the club she could see the bright blue of his eyes.

"What do you suggest?" she asked loudly.

"First time?" he asked.

"I'm not much of a clubber," Katniss replied. "I'm celebrating and my sister, Prim, made me get all dressed up."

"So that's Prim?" he asked her. "Rory mentioned her. You must be her sister. I'm Peeta."

The man held out his hand and she shook it. "I'm Katniss." An unfamiliar tingle ran through her as she touched his skin.

"What are you celebrating?" he asked her.

"I got into medical school," she replied. "Next year, I'm off to John Hopkins."

"Impressive. Beautiful and smart." Peeta reached under the bar and took out a shot glass, filling it.

Katniss felt her face burn.

God, he was cute.

"Drinks are on me tonight," Peeta said. "Try this. It's a Lemon Drop."

She eyed the shot glass and the sugared lemon next to it. "Do one with me."

"I could get fired for that."

"I will tell whoever that it's all _my_ fault—and plus, the customer is always right."

"You're getting free drinks."

"Come on," Katniss said and leaned forward. "Just one."

She was actually flirting. God help her.

Peeta looked at her for a moment before taking out another shot glass. He poured his shot and then took out a lemon, coating it with sugar.

"What do I do?" she asked.

"Shot first, then the lemon wedge," he told her. "Together."

Katniss nodded and then raised her glass. Toasting with Peeta, she threw the shot back and then took a bite of the sugary lemon.

"Fuck," she said after she placed her glass down. "I felt that."

Peeta grinned at her. "How did you like it?"

"Interesting," she smiled back.

"Katniss!" Prim was rushing towards her. "Let's dance! I found Gale and Johanna—they're already out there!" She looked over at Peeta. "Who's this?"

"Peeta, this is my sister, Prim," Katniss said. "This is Peeta. He knows Rory."

The two shook hands quickly and Prim turned to her. "Dance with me?"

Katniss nodded and then turned to Peeta. "Thanks for the drink."

He smiled at her warmly. "Come back when you want another. I'll be here till one."

She waved and let her sister lead her away. As they walked, Prim turned to her with a sly smile.

"He's adorable," Prim remarked. "There's your one."

"What?"

"You'll see."

* * *

"How's it going?" Cato asked as he stood at the bar.

Beside him was Thresh, sipping a Corona and talking to two girls who were probably wasted.

"It's been a good night," Peeta said as he wiped his area.

His eyes went to the dance floor and he spotted the familiar red dress of Katniss. Both she and Prim had been out there for most of his shift, coming back every once in a while to grab a drink or some water.

She was pretty.

"Who's pretty?" He turned to look at Cato who was staring at him. His friend followed his gaze then turned to him again. "The red dress? She's cute."

"Her name is Katniss," Peeta informed him. "Just got into med school."

"Oh—so you've talked to her?" Cato grinned at him.

"Yeah, she knows the DJ."

"What are we talking about?" Thresh asked as he walked over to them with one of the girls he had been talking to.

"Peeta has a crush."

Thresh laughed. "No shit! On who?"

"Red dress, dark hair, nice legs," Cato told their friend.

Thresh turned to look at the floor and then turned back to Peeta. "She's hot."

"She's out of my league," Peeta said as he wiped the counter again.

"She's-heading this way!" Cato turned quickly.

Katniss walked over, beaming at him. "What time is it?"

"Ten to one," Peeta replied. "One last drink before I'm off?"

"You gonna do it with me?"

"Of course."

Peeta set their shots up and this time, Katniss quickly tossed back her shot, then sucked the lemon without hesitation.

"Looks like you're immune to these now," he remarked.

"Probably." Katniss smiled softly. "I'm glad I met you."

"Me, too."

The two stared at one another for a moment.

Katniss was beautiful; he liked how her eyes resembled smoky coal. He liked how her lips were more peach than pink. She was fun and he enjoyed talking to her.

"Katniss!"

Prim was walking toward them with Rory's brother and his wife. He could see what Rory meant. Gale was tall and muscular; his eyes were similar in color to Katniss' but square and sharp. Next to him was Johanna, with her sharp bob and stare—her gaze was striking.

She had one of those 'don't fuck with me' stares.

"We're heading home," Prim said. "Gale and Johanna are letting me stay at their house for the night. Ready to go?"

Katniss turned to him and he saw the hesitation in her eyes. He didn't want her to leave either—that's all he knew.

"I'm off in two minutes if you want to hang," he offered.

Her mouth fell into a small smile before she nodded.

Turning to her sister, Katniss shook her head. "I think I'm going to stick around."

"Okay…" Prim grinned and then went to her sister.

She whispered something and then quickly led the couple away.

When the three were out of her sight, Katniss turned to him again.

"This time I'm buying you drinks."

* * *

_**One Hour Later**_

"_I fly like paper, get high like planes  
If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name  
If you come around here, I make 'em all day  
I get one down in a second if you wait…"_

Peeta couldn't dance. She could tell that much through her drunken haze.

She did, however, like the way his body felt against hers as they danced. Peeta held her waist protectively as they swayed to the music; she didn't know if it was his cologne or something else, but her nose instinctively went to his neck, taking in his scent.

Peeta met her eyes; his own were glazed from the alcohol. She had made him drink twice as much as she did. He was a bartender; he could tolerate it.

At least, he should've been able to.

"Did you want to get out of here?" he asked her.

Katniss took his hand, leading him out. The other blonde and Twerk—or whatever his name was – followed them outside.

"You two are the WORST dancers I've ever seen," the other blonde said once they were out on the curb.

"Shut up, Cato," Peeta slurred.

She sat on the curb. It was cold. Peeta sat next to her and put an arm around her.

"Can we go home?" she asked and he nodded.

Standing up, she put her index finger and middle finger to her lips, whistling out for a taxi. A bright yellow cab appeared before them and Peeta stood up to open the door for her.

Katniss threw an arm around his neck and kissed him quickly. She waved to his shocked friends and pulled Peeta into the cab with her.

Once inside, she gave the driver her address and Peeta threw him a wad of cash.

"Get there quickly," she told the man.

Her lips found Peeta's again.

* * *

"Shhh…"

"There's a pool here," Peeta said as they tried to walk quietly to her apartment and away from the main house.

"I know," she answered and then opened the door.

Walking inside, Katniss slammed the door behind them and Peeta pulled her towards him, their lips meeting as they collided.

Scrambling, she pulled her dress over her head. In the darkness of her place, he could see the smooth curves of her waist and hips. A black lace bra held her firm breasts and his hands found themselves cupping her bottom through the matching lace boyshorts.

Peeta lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her mouth sucking greedily on his neck.

She knew all his spots.

"Bedroom-NOW!" She lifted her head to nod toward the left where an open door was.

Quickly, he carried her to the room. Inside, she pushed herself off him to help him remove his shirt. Her hands found his belt to his jeans and Katniss undid it, unbuttoning and unzipping before finally pulling his pants down, along with his boxer briefs. Peeta toed off his shoes and pushed the clothes away from him with his feet.

Naked in front of her, Katniss sat back and looked up at him with a grin. "Nice."

Katniss took off her heels and then pushed herself to the middle of the mattress. "Do you have anything?"

He nodded and reached down into his jean pocket for his wallet.

He knew he had a condom somewhere.

"Peeta, you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Then get over here already!"

Peeta looked up at her and dropped his jeans back to the ground.

He crawled towards her and slowly reached to remove the lace bottoms off her hips. His hands ran themselves along the outside of her thighs and she parted herself for him as he let her panties fall to the ground.

He wanted to taste her.

Pulling her to the edge of her bed, he knelt on the ground, resting her thighs on his shoulders. His tongue caressed her, tasting her sweetness; he felt his cock grow harder when she began to respond to his movements inside of her.

"OH FUCK!" She was unrestrained and the desperation in her voice drove him on. His mouth went to her clit and his fingers found themselves encased in her wet insides.

He wanted to show her how good it was going to be once he was finally inside her. Katniss rode his fingers, desperate to come and he followed her movements, sucking on her bud as he did.

"PEETA!"

He felt her tighten around him and she was suddenly pulling him up to his feet. Pushing him onto the bed, she crawled towards him.

"I've waited long enough," Katniss said as she straddled him, removing her bra as she did.

Then without another word, she impaled herself onto his aching cock.

"OH, GOD!" She felt incredible.

Katniss rose again, stopping when she reached the tip of his cock before plunging down once more.

His hands held her hips down and he lifted his own. Katniss cried out as she leaned down to kiss him hungrily while he pushed into her over and over.

As she pushed up to ride him, he began to palm her breasts, pinching her nipples. Katniss moaned when he did and he could feel her tightening around him.

"I know you're close," he said to her and she opened her eyes to look at him. "Tell me how to make you come."

"Fuck me harder!"

Sitting up so that their chests met, her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and his hands pushed her ass against his groin so that they were grinding against each other.

"Hold onto my neck," he instructed her. Katniss obeyed, entwining her hands behind his neck for leverage. He began to move again with his hands firmly on her pert behind as his pace roughened.

"FUCK!" He began to feel the beginning of his own orgasm as he moved inside her.

Desperately, they began to move unevenly against one another, each one wanting to come.

She was first.

"PEETA!" Inside, he felt her grip his cock and the sensation of it, along with the husky way she called his name, was enough and he was falling apart, filling her as he came.

He fell back exhausted as Katniss fell against him, her head resting on his chest.

"You're amazing," she said breathlessly before falling asleep against him.

* * *

Her head was killing her.

And what the hell was she lying on?

She looked up to see herself sprawled on Peeta—the hot bartender.

Katniss stared up at him for a moment; he looked cute even when he was asleep.

Memories of the night before came flooding back.

She propositioned him; she was the one who decided to stay at the club. She was the one who brought him home.

She was the one who told him to fuck her harder.

"Shit." She slapped her hand against her forehead.

Oh God, he was still inside her. Slowly, Katniss moved herself off him and stepped out of the bed.

The bathroom was on the opposite side of the room, so she slowly walked over and closed the door.

What had she done?

Quickly, she washed her face and brushed her teeth before tossing a robe on. When she opened the door, she found Peeta already dressed.

"Morning," she greeted him and he gave her a smile.

"Good morning." Peeta stood up and walked over to her. "I thought I'd go before I had to do the 'walk of shame' in front of your family."

Katniss shook her head. "No, they know to keep to themselves." She was silent for a moment. "I don't know how this goes."

"How about I just give you my number and if you ever feel like calling…."

"Sure."

Reaching into his jeans, he handed her a card with his number.

"I'm just going to wait outside for my cab," he told her.

"Let me get dressed and I'll wait with you," she replied.

Tossing off the robe, Katniss grabbed a pair of leggings and an oversized grey sweater from her dresser and put them on.

She turned to see Peeta's flushed face.

"Sorry. I figured since you saw me naked—"

"We were both pretty messed up, but I liked the morning view," Peeta replied.

She grinned in spite of the situation. "Let's go."

Together, they walked out of the pool house and to the side of the house where they found Gale throwing out the trash and carrying Jenna on the opposite arm.

He gave them a smile. "Morning."

"Morning, Gale. Morning, Jenna," Katniss greeted before taking Peeta's hand and pulling him away.

Katniss could hear Jenna asking who Peeta was as they walked away.

She was going to get ribbed so hard for this.

They found the taxi already there and she bit her lip when they reached the curb.

She actually kind of liked him—the parts she knew anyway.

It would go nowhere.

"It was really nice meeting you, Peeta…"

"Mellark. My last name is Mellark," he told her. "And yours?"

"Everdeen."

"Pretty," Peeta said and kissed her cheek. "It was nice meeting you, Katniss Everdeen."

Then he was gone.

She turned around and found Johanna, Gale and Prim waiting for her in the front yard, each sporting identical smirks.

"Fuck."

* * *

So ends Part One.

Hate it? Love it? Let me know because feedback is appreciated.

Jenna is for Jena Malone, who will be playing Johanna in the movies, but I prefer to use the double N so there isn't too much of a mix up.

**Songs:**

"She-Wolf (Falling to Pieces)"-David Guetta featuring Sia

"Paper Planes"-M.I.A.

Next-Part Two: Eight Weeks

-JLaLa


	2. Part Two: Eight Weeks

Your response to the first part of "One" was overwhelming. Thank you so much!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you once again to darling Chelzie, who has to read through my mess of writing—she's an angel.

Warning: Scenes of drug use

And here we go…

One

By JLaLa

Part Two: Eight Weeks

He didn't expect to hear from her.

But that didn't stop Peeta from looking over at the rotary phone as he sat in the living room with his roommates.

"You okay, man?" Finnick asked as he hollowed out the top of an apple with a small knife. "Thinking about that chick?"

"No," he replied. "It was weeks ago."

"Bullshit," Cato responded from where he sat on the lounger. "You need to be a little quieter when you jerk off—kinda disrupts the rest of us when you're calling out her name in the middle of the night."

"I think it's kind of sweet," Annie said as she blew into a bubble wand from where she sat on the floor, a bowl of soapy water next to her. A spray of bubbles spread through the living room. "She must have been a good lay."

Thresh poked one of the bubbles from his seat next to Finnick on the couch. "Good fuck or not—the point of the story is that it's over and done with."

"Kind of hard not to think about it, especially since Cato took that video of you and your future wifey on his phone," Finnick joked as he took the knife and carved out a hole into the side of the apple.

Peeta stood up and went to his friend. "What video?"

Cato dug into his pocket and handed Peeta his cell. "Second video in my photo file—the other video is that drunk chick puking on Thresh's shoes."

Peeta went to the folder and he felt his stomach jump when her face filled the screen.

"_Look Peeta! We're on camera!" _

_Katniss hugged his waist as he threw an arm around her. She smiled up at him and their drunken eyes met._

"_She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Peeta looked into the camera. "I'm going to marry this woman!"_

"_You probably want to be sober when you do, bro," Cato said from behind the phone._

The video ended and he handed the phone back to Cato before sitting back down in his chair, his insides twisting unpleasantly.

From where she on the floor, Annie took her wand and blew up at him.

* * *

"So I heard that Rory took you out to dinner?" Katniss asked as she and Prim entered Johanna's store.

Johanna owned a small boutique a few blocks away from the Hawthorne house. Business was thriving; most of the pieces were designed by her friend and Johanna had an established clientele in the neighborhood.

"We went to In-N-Out burger. Rory paid—it was no big deal."

"What the fuck?" Johanna walked over to them from the counter, kissing them both on the cheeks. "Get it together, Rory! He could've shelled out for a decent meal—a steak or something."

"It was fine," Prim replied easily. "I love In-N-Out. Nothing is better than biting into a good piece of meat."

She gave them a wicked grin.

"Gross." Katniss walked over to a mannequin with a red dress—and Peeta Mellark's face flashed briefly in her mind.

She still had his card in her wallet.

"You okay there?" Johanna walked over to her. "You seem a little off."

"Just tired, that's all." She turned and smiled at her friend. "I have this thing that I can't seem to fight off."

"Like what?"

"A stomachache," Katniss said as she placed her hand on her abdomen. "It's nothing. I just stay away from the foods that make me feel gross."

"Sounds like you're pregnant," Prim informed her as she looked through a nearby rack. She pulled out a white shift dress. "Johanna, do you have this in black?"

Katniss snorted. "You have to have sex to get pregnant."

The room went silent.

"Katniss," Johanna began slowly. "What was the date of your last period?"

She thought back over the last two months. Most of that time had been preparing for her future move—looking over the neighborhoods near her school, as well as taking care of Jenna while Gale and Johanna were at work. In-between those times, she was volunteering at the local hospital. Her friend, Cinna, was a nurse and let her follow him around sometimes.

However, she couldn't think of a time when she had needed a tampon.

Shit.

"I don't know," she managed to whisper.

Her stomach started to lurch.

"Holy crap!" Prim went up to her. "Mom and Dad are going to _kill _you."

"Shut up, Prim!" Johanna scolded and went to the register.

Pulling out a stack of bills, she closed the register and walked over to the sisters. "Prim—go across the street to the pharmacy. Get as many tests as you can and something for Katniss to drink."

"You're taking money from your own register?" Prim asked as she took the cash.

"It's petty cash—Gale does the books," Johanna informed her. "Best that he doesn't know." She looked over at the ashen Katniss. "In case it's just a fluke."

There was something, however, that told her it wasn't.

* * *

"Just keep drinking," Johanna told her from behind the bathroom door.

They had closed the store for lunch when Prim had returned from the pharmacy with ten pregnancy tests and three bottles of apple juice.

Katniss looked down at the counter where the ten tests sat, mocking her.

Tests one and two were both plus signs. Test three, four, and five were double pink lines. Tests six and seven were double blue lines.

Tests eight and nine just said, '**PREGNANT**'.

The last test was unopened. She couldn't do it.

Her life was over.

Putting the toilet seat cover down, Katniss sat down.

"Don't cry," she told herself.

The tears came anyway.

A soft knock came through the door. "Katniss? You okay?" It was Prim.

Opening the door, her sister quickly slipped in, along with Johanna. Katniss looked up at them, no longer hiding her tears. The wet streaks lined her cheeks and her usually tamed hair was now undone, her bangs sticking to her forehead.

Johanna looked over the tests and then turned to her. "You're going to be okay."

"Am I?"

"Why didn't you take the last test?" Prim asked after she looked over the others.

"I couldn't handle the thought of having another test tell me what I already know," Katniss replied and stood up. "That I'm fucked."

"Let me take one," Johanna offered. "It'll be like the test one—just to make sure that these aren't bogus." She unwrapped it and glared at them. "You bitches turn around. I don't want you staring at this magnificent vagina—it might be too much for you to handle."

Katniss and Prim obliged, turning to look at the door. Prim took her sister's hand.

"Are you going to call him?" she asked Katniss as they listened to Johanna mutter to herself.

"I guess I should." Katniss sighed. "I really liked him, too."

"He's a bartender, you're going to medical school," her sister reasoned. "How is this going to work?"

Katniss met her eyes somberly. "I haven't gotten that far yet."

"It's NEGATIVE!" Johanna said. "Oh, thank God!" Her eyes met Katniss'. "Sorry."

* * *

"Where does the name Katniss come from?"

Peeta stopped in his tracks. Walking to the living room, he found Annie holding the phone to her ear.

"A plant, huh?" Her glazed eyes met his. "We've heard a lot about you—especially at night. You should come over and keep him company." Annie paused. "Where is he now? Right in front of me, looks like he wants to choke me out—"

"May I have the phone?" he asked and held out his hand.

Annie giggled. "What will you give me?"

"In my room, under the bed, there's a bag of Tootsie pops—"

She threw the phone at him and ran down the hallway to his room.

Peeta took a breath before putting the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Peeta? It's me—Katniss. From the club—and my pool house?"

"How are you?" he asked her. "I've thought about you—"

"At night, I heard," Katniss replied and he could tell that she was trying not to laugh over the phone. "Listen—can you meet me tonight? There's this restaurant near my place..."

She told him the address.

"I know where that is." Cato and Thresh walked through the front door. "How's seven work for you?"

"Seven is good," Katniss replied breathlessly. "See you then."

"Hey, Katniss?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't wait to see you," he told her.

She paused for a moment and he could hear the definite smile in her voice when she responded.

"Me, too—see you at seven."

Peeta waited for her to hang up before placing the receiver back on the phone. He turned to see Cato and Thresh grinning at him.

"What was that?" Cato asked. "Missed a little bit of Peeta Mellark in her, right?"

He shook his head. "We're having dinner tonight."

"FINALLY!" Thresh slapped him on the back.

"Now I need a favor," he told them.

"Name it, dude," Cato said.

"I need some cash," he told them. Bartending gigs had slowed down this month. "I should at least pay for dinner, right?"

* * *

Katniss fiddled with the napkin on her lap.

What the hell was she doing?

In the back of her mind, she knew that didn't have to do this. She could get this taken care of.

As someone in medicine, she still felt that she owed it to herself to look over all options when making a decision like this.

Maybe talking to Peeta would help her make the decision easier.

"You look beautiful."

She looked up to see Peeta staring at her in the peach dress that Johanna forced her into. Apparently, it made her boobs look bigger which, according to her friend, couldn't hurt when she had to tell him the news.

He wore a grey blazer with black button down shirt underneath and a pair of dark wash jeans.

Damn—he was cute. This was going to suck.

She stood up quickly and Peeta opened his arms to her. Katniss found herself easily rushing to him, her head resting against his chest so she could listen to his heartbeat against his chest. Her own arms wrapped around his waist.

Looking up at him, Katniss smiled. "It's been a while."

"A few weeks or so," he replied. "Come on, let's sit down." Peeta went to her chair, holding it out for her.

Katniss sat down and he helped her adjust before going to his own seat.

This would've been easier if he was an asshole.

"So Annie is your roommate?" she asked.

"My roommate Finnick's girlfriend," Peeta replied. "But she pretty much lives there, too."

"So you live with just the two of them?"

"Cato and Thresh live there as well."

"That's a lot of people," she remarked, taking a sip of water from her glass. "Before we have dinner, I need to tell you something."

Katniss felt the urge to vomit; other than the stomachache, this would've been the first pregnancy symptom that she noticed.

"You look nervous," he said to her and gave her an assuring smile. "Nothing you say could be that bad."

She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

Peeta stared for a moment. "With emotion?"

"With a baby."

"Wow, a lot has changed in a few weeks," Peeta told her, suddenly disheartened. "Congratulations?"

"It's yours."

"No, it's not." It came out of his mouth without thinking. "Weren't you on anything? Some sort of shot or pill? A cap?"

"I wasn't," she responded. "You were supposed to put on a condom!"

"You told me not to!"

"I DID NOT!" The restaurant noise suddenly decreased.

"You told me 'to get over here already', which I took as you not needing me to put anything on," Peeta replied through gritted teeth.

"What kind of idiot comes up with that conclusion?" Katniss' eyes were blazing.

"The one that got you pregnant, obviously."

The two stilled in their seats. Peeta looked over as she wiped her eyes and felt the fire in his belly fade.

"Don't cry," he told her softly. "I'm sorry. This wasn't what I was expecting."

"And you think I was? I'm supposed to be going to John Hopkins in a few months!" Katniss felt the tears forming and took the napkin from her lap to wipe them away. Damn hormones. "How am I going to tell my parents?"

"Why don't we wait on that?" he suggested after a moment. "You've taken a pregnancy test?"

Katniss nodded. "Nine of them."

"Nine. Ambitious of you." He was rewarded with a glare.

"Wanted to make sure that it was real."

"Did you make an appointment with your doctor?"

"I made one with Johanna's doctor," she told him. "For tomorrow."

"Then I'm coming along," Peeta said. "We're going to figure this out, okay?"

"How?"

He wasn't sure yet.

* * *

"You knocked her up?" Cato said as they sat on the couch. Using a coin to remove the foil lining of the gum wrapper, he began to make crease in it as he talked to his friend. "That's crazy."

"And you're sure it's yours?" Thresh asked on his other side, halfway through his blunt.

"We're going tomorrow to find out how long it's been," Peeta informed them. "Something tells me it is mine."

"Have you two considered other options?" Cato asked carefully. "It's not too late…"

"No!" Finnick looked up from the carpet. Annie laid next to him sucking on a red Tootsie pop. "Don't do that—it's wrong."

"It's not wrong, you big baby," their friend argued. "What's wrong is not to consider it."

Annie pulled the lollipop from her mouth and flipped onto her stomach. She looked at them, her eyes glassy.

"What's wrong is that none of you dicks will ever understand what goes on inside a woman's body, so you can't tell them what to do," she said, her usual timid voice suddenly hard. "Tomorrow, you're going to see a baby inside her. Just be there for her." Her eyes met Peeta's. "Because both of you won't know what hit you."

Annie flipped onto her back and put the Tootsie pop back in her mouth.

Finnick kissed her forehead and then looked up at them with a smug grin. "Magna cum laude at Sarah Lawrence, this one."

Sometimes Peeta didn't think he knew his friends at all.

* * *

Peeta arrived at the front door of the Hawthorne house an hour before their appointment.

Katniss opened the door in a pair of skinny jeans and a loose top. She looked tired but she managed to smile at him.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Rough morning," she told him. "Thank God you're here. We had to tell Gale and he is not happy. I'm lucky that he didn't call my Mom and Dad. He is such a tattler—always has been since we were kids."

Taking his hand, Katniss led him into the house, closing the door behind them. The inside was full of beautiful cream-colored walls filled with photos and a hardwood floor.

He was in the Technicolor version of the 'Leave It to Beaver' house.

He tugged her hand softly. "Come here."

Peeta pulled her close and she laid her head against his shoulder. When did the need to feel her against him become something so special to him? He tightened his hold.

Nothing would ever hurt them.

A cough interrupted them and he looked up to see Gale's menacing glare. The other man walked down the staircase towards the two, his eyes staring solely at Peeta.

The two pulled away slowly and Katniss gave him a small smile.

"Gale, this is Peeta Mellark," she introduced them as her hand firmly held his.

Peeta held out his hand to Gale. "It's nice to meet you."

Gale stared at him for a moment. His eyes, though the same color as Katniss', held a cold anger when he looked at Peeta. It was obvious that Gale wasn't happy about him or the situation and he wasn't trying to hide it.

"Johanna is waiting for us," he told them, then walked down the hallway.

Peeta put his hand down. "Nice guy."

Katniss turned to him. "He's disappointed. Gale always believed that I was the one that was set in life."

"Then I fucked it up," he replied.

She felt the beginning of a headache. "Let's get this breakfast over with."

The two walked into the kitchen. Jenna looked up from her chair and her eyes immediately went to Peeta.

"Who's that?" she asked Katniss.

Peeta sat in the chair next to Jenna. "I'm Peeta," he told her while holding out his hand.

Jenna eyed him and Peeta could see how her stare was an intermingling of Johanna and Gale—suspicious yet analytical. He could tell she was trying to determine whether he was good or bad.

Finally, she shook his hand once. "Do you like Lucky Charms?"

"The cereal? Who doesn't?" He smiled at the little girl.

Katniss watched them before sitting next to Peeta and across from Jenna. Would this be their life if she had a baby? She hadn't slept the entire night, instead thinking of the possibility of raising a baby. She knew she could do it, but did she want to?

She met Johanna's eyes. Johanna went to Jenna and placed a bowl of cereal in front of her, then one in front of Peeta before giving him a quick smile and nod.

"What's your favorite marshmallow shape?" Jenna asked, her eyes serious. "I like the rainbows."

"I like the clovers," Peeta replied. He took his spoon and began to scoop the rainbow marshmallows into Jenna's bowl.

Gale sat next to Katniss, a cup of coffee in his hand. "What does he do for a living—other than bartending?"

She turned to him. "I think he just does that."

"And where does he live?"

"About twenty minutes away with four of his roommates."

"Geez, Katniss—really?" Gale whispered in her ear. "Of all people—a bartender who doesn't even have his own place?"

Katniss turned to look at Peeta. Jenna was scooping the clovers into his bowl for him. She felt her mouth draw up into a smile.

She looked at Gale again—and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Please give him a chance."

Gale looked over at Peeta and his daughter, who was explaining the meaning of each marshmallow to him.

He turned back to Katniss and ruffled the top of her head. "Okay, Catnip."

* * *

It looked like a floral explosion in the examination room. Pink wallpaper with white tea roses, and a white wicker table in the corner with pamphlets about childbirth. There was also a vase near the window filled with bright pink tulips.

"This room is making me sick," Katniss said as she sat on the padded exam table. Her white gown hung from her body.

Peeta sat in a nearby wicker chair trying not to stare at the pictures of the smiling babies across from him.

He adjusted the floral cushion under him. "So this doctor—is Johanna's, too?"

"Yeah, I didn't really have a lady parts doctor," she explained. "I wasn't having sex regularly and I've been busy, so I never really thought about going until now. Trust me, I cringe thinking that this woman has seen Johanna's vagina and now she's going to be looking at mine."

"It'll be a nice bonding moment for you two."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The door opened to reveal a petite woman in bright pink scrubs with light blond hair and an ivory face, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hello, I'm Effie," she introduced herself, shaking Peeta's hand first, then Katniss'.

Peeta introduced himself to the woman—she looked young. "You're a doctor, right?" he asked.

"Of course, sweetheart," she told him with a giggle.

Opening Katniss' chart, she handed him a piece of paper. "Credentials and contact information for you. Graduated from UCSF, my residency was at Cedars-Sinai before I opened my own practice. I just prefer my patients to call me Effie—you know, white coat syndrome and all."

Effie looked over Katniss' chart and then turned to her.

"So we're doing a double check?" She went to the sink and began to wash her hands. "Any other symptoms besides your missed cycle and nausea?"

"I threw up this morning," Katniss replied. "And I've been tired."

"Well, let's just take a look," Effie told her as she put on some gloves, then looked over at Peeta. "Why don't you go over to this side? You'll get a better view."

Peeta jumped from his chair and went to Katniss' side. She gave a grateful smile.

"Now scoot down, love, and put your feet in the stirrups," Effie instructed. "The usual probe won't be used until later, so we're going have to use this one." She went to the ultrasound machine next to the exam table.

Taking out a long wand from its holder, she rolled a plastic covering onto it.

"That's going to fit into her?"

Effie chuckled. "You'll find, Peeta, that a woman's body can accommodate a lot of things." She met Katniss' eyes. "Deep breath."

Suddenly, Peeta felt sick. He steadied himself when Katniss grabbed his hand.

Effie looked at the screen and adjusted the probe. "So everything looks good!" She adjusted the volume and a sound similar to galloping filled the room. "Heart rate is perfect."

Katniss sat up on her elbows and looked at the screen. "So there's an actual baby in there?"

Effie nodded. "A tiny one, but it's there." She pointed at an oval space on the screen and inside laid a tiny bean against the wall of it. "You see, right there? That movement—there's the heart. It takes up most of the body for now. Let me take some pictures."

Peeta stood watching the quick fluttering of the little jellybean.

Holy shit.

Effie took the probe out of Katniss as the pictures printed. When she was finished up with Katniss, she handed the photos to Peeta.

Katniss sat up slowly and began to sob. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as a strangled sound arose from her throat.

It was the sound of someone who knew that their lives had completely changed.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

Katniss laid in bed, one hand on her abdomen and the other holding up the sonogram photo.

After she had dropped off a shell-shocked Peeta, she drove straight home and threw up in the driveway—right as Gale and Johanna arrived home.

"It's cute," Johanna remarked from where she laid on Katniss' right.

"Yeah," Gale added from her left. "It looks like it's waving—like it's saying 'Hi, Mommy…'" His voice cracked as he tried to raise it. "Sorry, I'm no good with fetus impersonations."

"Before he got out of the car, I told him that I was going to keep it," Katniss told them.

The couple looked at their friend just in time to see the tears roll down the side of her face.

"What did he say?" Johanna asked.

"He just sort of nodded…then got of the car," she replied in a tight voice. "I don't blame him. This is real. There is a real live baby in there—with a heartbeat and everything!"

"No matter what," Johanna said. "We'll be here—we'll help you raise the baby!" She grinned at her friend.

After a moment, Gale sat up and turned to his wife. "Wait—what?"

Johanna sat up and glared at him for a moment. "We. Will. Help. Her."

She was talking through clenched teeth, which was never a good sign.

The couple communicated through their eyes before Johanna nodded and laid back down.

Gale looked down at both of them. "Well—fuck."

* * *

Peeta sat in the backyard, a beer in one hand and the sonogram photo in the other.

"So that's it, huh?" Thresh sat next to him on the lawn. Peeta handed him the photo and he looked over it before handing it back. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," he replied. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly father material."

"I'll admit you're not at that point-but who really is when it comes to something like this?"

"Just tell me," Peeta asked his friend. "Do you think I can do this?"

Thresh sat silent before answering. "I think this is something that you just have to roll with."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means that I know you want to give this a go. If you didn't, that picture would've been in the trash and you would've been in there—"

He pointed at the clear sliding door where Annie, Finnick and Cato sat, passing a smoking apple to one another.

"You just have to hope that you're lucky enough to get into something good."

Peeta turned to him. "What did you say?"

"You just have to be lucky—where are you going?" Thresh watched him shoot up from his spot.

"Out."

"Out where?"

Peeta turned to him. "Tell me congratulations."

Thresh nodded and gave him a smile. "Congratulations."

* * *

When Peeta knocked on the door, Gale answered. He stared at Peeta for a moment before opening the door for him.

"She went out to dinner with Johanna and Prim. Girls night or something like that," he told Peeta. "Why are you here?"

"To grovel."

"I'll make some coffee."

Together, the two went into the kitchen where Jenna sat coloring at the table. She looked up and gave Peeta a toothy smile.

"Hi, Peeta," she greeted. "Are you here for dinner?"

Peeta looked over at Gale who shrugged. "Hope you like hot dogs."

"I love hot dogs!" Jenna told him. "Mommy never lets me have them but Daddy does—when she's not here."

Peeta looked over at Gale who shrugged. "Makes dinner time a little easier for me."

"Have you ever had a hot dog roll?" Peeta asked the girl.

She shook her head. "No, can you make me one?"

He looked over at Gale. "You have any yeast and flour?"

"Top cabinet, next to the fridge."

Peeta nodded then looked over at Jenna. "Come on now—every baker needs an assistant."

Jenna jumped from her seat. "Yay!" Then she turned to Gale, her eyes serious.

"Daddy, finish coloring for me, okay?"

Gale wondered when Jenna learned to master her mother's stare.

* * *

"You did well tonight," Gale said after he brought Jenna to bed.

Peeta looked up from the picture that he was coloring. "Thanks." He folded the paper and put it in his pocket. "Does it get easier?"

"What?"

"Having a kid."

Gale sat in the chair across from him. "No, it doesn't. Kids just show you that all the petty grown up shit won't make you happy—it's all about the simple things. Like you baking some rolls with Jenna—she had the time of her life."

"Really?" Peeta smiled at the thought.

"I work a nine hour day as a business manager for four different companies; one of them is Johanna's, which I do for free," he informed Peeta. "If I could be as excited about one of those companies as much as Jenna did baking with you—then it would all be worth it. You spend a majority of your life trying to grow up, thinking it'll make you happy. In the end, you wish that you were still a kid."

"Interesting—there must be a way to combine the two."

"If you figure out how—let me know." Gale slid a key across the table. "Katniss will be home soon."

Peeta stood up and put the key in his pocket. "Thanks."

Gale nodded. "Check your jacket pocket—they're a present from Jenna."

Opening the back door, Peeta walked out of the kitchen towards Katniss' place.

As he walked, he reached into his jacket pocket. Inside was a sandwich bag full of clover marshmallows.

He took it as a good sign.

* * *

Katniss walked tiredly to her home. She had fun with Johanna and Prim, but this pregnancy was wearing her down already. She just wanted to get into her sweats and go to bed.

Finally reaching her door, Katniss found a folded piece of paper taped to it. She pulled it off and unfolded it, revealing a picture of a large green clover.

"What the fuck?" she stared at it as she opened the door.

"I was wondering when you would get home."

She looked up to find Peeta standing a few feet away from her.

"What are you doing here?"

Peeta walked towards her. "I just wanted to say that I'm in. I'm ALL in—if you want me here. If I'm lucky enough to have you—both of you—in my life."

Katniss looked up at him and she was scared—she could admit that. But with Peeta, she found that she didn't mind it.

So she took his hand and placed it on her barely there bump. "We're in, too."

Lifting her chin with his finger, Peeta kissed her softly. The feeling of his lips against hers brought back memories of that first night and she found herself pressing her body against his.

"Now that we have this all settled—will you take me to bed?" she asked.

"You might want to close the door first," Peeta replied, his lips still against hers.

So she did.

* * *

As you've noticed—there are similarities to the movie but differences too. I hope you're enjoying so far!

According to Wikipedia, the clovers in Lucky Charms cereal mean, "luck, but you will never know what kind of luck you'll get." This will mean something later.

There's a line or two and some scenes similar to the movie. Did you catch them?

The whole apple smoking thing—well—my husband had to tell me about that, as well as how to make a zigzag from a gum wrapper. Don't ask how he knows.

Annie's character is a combination of Charlene Yi and Jonah Hill's characters (his character was the one who graduated from college—I believe), as well as few other people not from this movie—part stoner/part genius, that one.

Thank you for reviews and the love—always appreciated!

Next: Part Three: Ten weeks—we tell the parents.

-JLaLa


	3. Part Three: Ten Weeks

Thank you for reading so far—you're awesome!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie for being my beta and tolerating me—she's an angel.

One

By JLaLa

Part Three: Ten Weeks

She was woken up by his hand caressing her small belly.

Katniss slowly opened her eyes and looked down, watching Peeta's hand move back and forth as he slumbered. Her bump was a bit more prominent; since, according to the books, the little one was now developing some very vital organs and sporting a rather large head.

They had come to a nice place in their relationship.

There was kissing and there was sex—mostly initiated by her. Peeta worried about hurting the baby, even when Effie assured him that most couples still had sex while pregnant.

Though she did warn him about blowing into her vagina—and then sent them packing with brochures about safe sex positions during pregnancy.

The two of them were slowly learning to fit themselves into one another's lives. Peeta had dinner at the Hawthornes'; she had met his roommates. Annie, in particular, was especially fascinated by Katniss.

They switched off between her apartment and his house; this weekend she was at his place.

So there Katniss was, spooned against the father of her child, enjoying the feel of his hand on the little plum inside her.

For a moment, everything was perfect.

Then her stomach lurched and the sour taste of vomit began to fill her mouth. She sat up quickly, pushing Peeta's hand off of her as she did.

Throwing the blankets aside, Katniss jumped out of bed, threw open the bedroom door and rushed down the hall to the bathroom.

Cato stood in front of the door, ready to turn the knob when she practically threw him against the opposite wall.

"HEY!" he yelled as she slammed the door in his face.

She just barely reached the toilet when the vomit came.

Katniss would never get used to this. It felt like a millennium as she retched into the toilet. How could so much come out of her when she could barely eat anything?

Everything made her sick.

She had to change her toothpaste because it just made her throw up. Last week, it was Peeta's shampoo scent.

Finally, it stopped. Then he was there.

Peeta sat next to her on the floor with a glass of water and some saltines. She took the saltines first and the dry crackers immediately calmed her aching stomach.

"Morning," he said hoarsely and she gave him a closed-mouthed smile.

She enjoyed his morning voice, especially when he woke her with his mouth against her ear.

"Morning," she responded, her voice just as rough. "It's going to be an interesting day."

"Started off interesting enough," Peeta said and reached over to touch her cheek. "Do you want me to make you some pancakes?"

Katniss nodded and he stood up, holding out his hand so that he could help her stand. Once on her feet, she put her head against his chest and he kissed the top of her head.

And everything was perfect again.

The door burst open and Cato rushed in, his face crimson.

"I can't wait—IF YOU TWO DON'T GET OUT OF HERE, I'M GOING TO PEE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

* * *

Peeta adjusted his navy button down shirt. His mother had bought it for him in the hope that he would use it for job interviews.

He hadn't bothered to even take it out of the box, and had just cut the price tag off it only seconds ago.

His eyes wandered over to where the stack of bills was piling up. His gigs had definitely slowed, so he was working at a small wine bar that was within walking distance, but only three times a week. Katniss was still using her student insurance for her visits with Effie, but that would expire in two months.

Peeta knew he needed to find a way to support her and the baby, but he was stuck on one thing.

He had no idea what to do with his life.

Bartending was easy enough—the job had just fallen into his lap one day.

When he was in college, Peeta could memorize drink recipes like no one else could, so all the frat boys hired him for their parties. When he decided that college wasn't for him, one of those same frat boys suggested the club circuits for some easy cash.

And it had worked out—when it was just him.

Putting on his dark brown leather shoes, Peeta walked out of his room and into the living room where he found Katniss and Annie sitting on the couch.

"Your boobs look bigger than they did last week." Annie eyed Katniss' chest. "Can I touch one? Is there milk in there already?"

"Um—I don't think that there's milk in there yet," Katniss replied with an amused smile.

"Your body is reacting well to the pregnancy," Finnick added from his seat. He had been especially considerate, though unusually fascinated when it came to Katniss.

Peeta once caught him reading one of the baby books that were stacked in his bedroom.

"Thanks," she answered back awkwardly. Katniss met Peeta's eyes. "Are you ready?"

He nodded and she stood up, adjusting the wide skirt of her dress that concealed her condition. The top of the navy dress was sleeveless with a white collar.

"Don't you two look nice?" Thresh said as he walked into the room holding a bowl of cereal. "Very Doris Day and Rock Hudson."

"You've been watching too much AMC," Peeta told his friend. "We're off."

"Good luck," Finnick said with a lazy grin.

"Try not to vomit before you tell them about the baby," Annie advised as they walked towards the front door. "If anything, crying usually helps."

"Should I be worried?" Katniss asked him once they finally stepped out of the house and into the muggy heat.

"No, they're exaggerating," he replied with a nervous laugh.

"Liar."

"I know."

Today, they were telling his parents.

* * *

The Mellarks lived forty minutes away. It was close enough for Peeta to get there for birthdays or holidays, but far enough that he didn't have visit every weekend.

"So tell me a little more about your family," she said as he drove her electric blue VW Beetle down the highway. "Besides the fact that your Dad is an architect and your Mom is an art restorer, I don't know anything else."

"That's how they met," Peeta replied, his eyes on the road. "My Dad just finished building a house for my godfather and my mother was restoring an old piece that was going into the house. They got into a fight over how to get the ugly sculpture into the house, then got married eight months later."

"And what about your brothers?"

"Will is a lawyer and Cal is a realtor," he informed her. "Both are single and perfectly happy about it."

"And then there's you. How did your brothers get Will and Cal, but you got the name 'Peeta'?"

"I'm named after my grandfather." He turned to look at her quickly. "They say I look just like him."

Katniss grinned teasingly. "So he was a hot blonde with amazing dexterity, too?"

"Don't make me pull this car over."

"I dare you—"

She was interrupted by the loud squeal of the car's tires as it cut across two lanes and Peeta pulled off on the shoulder of the highway.

He turned to her, and Katniss unbuckled her seatbelt so that she could move onto her knees. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her onto his lap so she could straighten her legs on her seat.

"I took your dare," Peeta said as his lips teased hers. He looked into her coal eyes and his hand reached over to push the stray bang from her forehead.

"Your heart is racing," she whispered and placed a small kiss against his lower lip.

He leaned his forehead against her. "It's because of you."

Her mouth moved over his and he surrendered himself to the taste of mint and chocolate—mint for her toothpaste and chocolate from the pancakes he made her that morning. His hand moved over the small bump that was their little one and stroked it gently as he ravished her mouth.

They pulled apart breathlessly and she smiled at him. "I like this."

"So do I," he replied affectionately. "I like fitting myself into the little compartments in your life." Peeta took a deep breath. "I have to tell you something."

"Am I going to be mad?"

"Maybe," Peeta told her. "I told my parents that you were my—girlfriend."

She raised a brow at him. "Aren't I?"

"Are you?"

Katniss thought for a moment. "We've never really talked about that. I guess I am. It's better than 'Mellark baby carrier.'"

"So we've decided that the last name will definitely be Mellark?

"This list of baby topics keeps on getting longer," she thought out loud, then reached for her phone in the car's cup holder to write it in her notes. "Discuss last name."

"So you really have a list?"

"It says to have one in the baby book I have," Katniss looked over at him. "In chapter five. How far have you gotten in your version?"

"Page six." Her face fell at his answer. "I've been busy at the bar—"

"I know," she said with a sigh. "Anything else we need to discuss?"

"I told my parents that we've been dating for six months."

"Don't you think I should know a little bit more about you since we've been _supposedly_ dating for six months?" Katniss moved herself off him and sat back, her eyes wide. She leaned back against the door. "How long do we have until we get there?"

"About twenty minutes."

She reached for her phone. "Okay. Give me the Peeta Mellark _Wikipedia_ version of your life."

Peeta started the car and pulled off the shoulder. "Where do I start?"

"How about your birthday?"

* * *

"You live here?"

Katniss looked up at the Mellark house. Perched on a hill and surrounded by trees, the house was a combination of light-colored timber and glass walls that overlooked the city below. It was modern and everything her old childhood home wasn't.

"I_ lived_ here," Peeta corrected. "Looks like this is the latest remodel." He gave her a wary smile. "Are you ready?"

She turned to him and smoothed down the collar of his shirt. "Now you're perfect."

Peeta grimaced. "Try telling my Mom that."

The door burst open and she instinctively took his hand, feeling him squeeze hers as his parents rushed out.

Both Mellark parentals were blond and blue eyed; Katniss subconsciously smoothed her dark hair, suddenly feeling very out of place.

She hoped the baby would be a brunette.

"Peeta! You don't keep us waiting while we spy on you from the living room," his mother scolded and then kissed his cheek.

Mr. Mellark turned to Katniss and gave her a welcoming smile. "Hi, I'm Richard—Peeta's father." He shook her hand. She could see that Peeta got his square jaw from his Dad, as well as his eyes.

"I'm Katniss Everdeen," she replied nervously and her stomach lurched. Katniss placed a hand on her abdomen. She looked up to see Peeta's dad watching her, his eyes on where her hand rested. "Sorry, I get carsick sometimes."

"Mom, this is Katniss," Peeta said as he joined them.

Peeta's mother was beautiful with a heart shaped face and blonde waves. Her eyes were a little sharper, but striking nonetheless.

"Anna Mellark," his mother said with a gracious smile, revealing pearly white teeth. "It's really nice to meet you, especially since we had no idea that you existed until a week ago."

Katniss wasn't quite sure whether she was being sweet or snide.

"It's okay," she replied.

"Why don't we all head inside?" Richard suggested. "Your brothers are here. They're dying to meet Katniss."

"Oh, good," Peeta said weakly. He turned to her. "Are you all right?"

"I feel sick," she whispered into his ear. "And I think your Dad suspects something, seeing as how I almost barfed on him."

"Five minutes here and it's all falling apart."

"What do you mean?" Katniss asked.

"I just had a conversation with my mother about the student loans that she is still paying off," Peeta said as he put an arm around her and led her up the porch. "Then she proceeded to berate me about where I live and what I do."

Katniss stopped in place as Peeta's parents walked inside.

"Listen. Not everyone has their life figured out at our ages." He was 24, a year older than her.

"You do."

"Obviously not." She looked down at where the bump was hidden.

"Are you two coming in?" Anna asked as she walked out to join them.

Katniss smiled and nodded at the woman before taking Peeta's hand to go into the house.

* * *

"You live in 'The Lake House'," Katniss told him as they walked in.

"Huh?"

Peeta led her over to the plush sectional that rested against a wooden wall. A large canvas with multi-colored splotches hung on the wall behind them.

"I think it was that movie with Keanu Reeves." She looked up to see wheat-colored haired man in a white button down and grey suit pants. He gave her a friendly smile, similar to Peeta's. "Will Mellark."

He handed her a glass of wine before handing one to Peeta.

"Katniss Everdeen."

"Where is Cal?" Richard asked.

"Finishing up a deal," Will replied.

Peeta downed his glass then took Katniss' so that he could drink hers. She caught Richard's eyes and felt her stomach lurch.

"I need to wash up from the road trip," she told Peeta. "Bathroom?"

"Peeta, take Katniss upstairs—we're redoing the downstairs half-bath," his mother instructed.

"Don't take too long you two," Will teased. "Mom is infamous for finding girls in our rooms."

"So how many girls have been in your room?" she asked as they walked up the stairs with floating railings.

"Not many," he told her as they reached the top and made a left. "You want to see my room?"

"How many girls?" she demanded.

"Two." Katniss turned to see a skinny, dirty-blonde haired man with Anna's eyes grinning at her. "Little brother finally brought a girl home—I'm Cal."

"Katniss."

"I'll give you both a few minutes. By the way, one of them was our next door neighbor and the other was just a hot mess," Cal informed her. He patted Peeta's shoulder. "I'll try to distract them until Mom decides to come rushing up."

"Thanks," Peeta responded, his smile a little more relaxed.

Cal winked at her. "I have a feeling about this one," he said before going down the stairs.

"Your family is very fast-paced," Katniss remarked.

"Tell me about it," he said as he led her to the bathroom door. "Look for me—I need a few minutes before we go back down."

She nodded before walking into the bathroom.

* * *

Katniss looked at herself in the mirror—was she showing? She placed a hand on her belly and rubbed it slowly. "You okay in there?"

There was no response, except for the growl coming from her stomach. It was hungry.

"We're eating soon," she assured her belly. "Little one—we have to tell your grandparents that you exist today—so for the love of God, please stop sending me little hormonal messages that make me want to vomit."

She washed her hands and stepped out of the bathroom, in search of Peeta.

It was obvious that the double doors at the opposite end were for the master bedroom. She walked down the hallway, peeking into each room—all of them impeccably decorated. Katniss knew one of them was Will's, due to the Yale Law School flag hanging on the wall.

She knew Peeta's room immediately. It was as chaotic as he was—and she loved it.

There were sketches hanging from the walls and charcoal pencils on the desk. The twin bed had grey flannel sheets and she sat on it, picturing an adolescent Peeta dreaming away on it. Her eyes went to a framed photo of the Mellark family by a lake on his bedside table—Peeta looked about ten in the photo.

"We used to go there every summer." She looked up and saw him at the doorway. Peeta walked over and sat next to her.

"Is this around Russian River?" she asked.

"Yup."

"I used to go there with my family, too." Katniss leaned back against his headboard and smiled at him. "Wouldn't it be funny if we passed each other and didn't even know it?"

"That didn't happen," he said. "Scoot over."

Katniss moved to the far end so that she sat between the wall and him. "How do you know?"

"Because I would've remembered you—" Peeta turned to her and lifted her chin. "And I would've been a goner."

She bit her lip to stop herself from crying. Fucking hormones.

* * *

"I can't do this," Katniss whispered as they walked down the stairs.

"We have to tell them," he responded, though he tightened his grip on her hand. "I know this isn't going to be easy, but just think—next week, we get to tell _your_ parents."

"Oh, God—I feel a headache coming on."

His family was still in the living room and he saw how perfect they looked without him there. He didn't doubt that they loved and supported him, but they could be…critical. Especially his mother. She was the pusher while his father tended to be the mellower of the two. His Dad was always there with a gentle smile or a pat on the back whenever she ripped him a new one.

"About time you two got down here," Will said, amused. "We were about to send up the search party."

Peeta looked over at Katniss and her face was grey. She looked like she was about ready to pass out.

"Before we get to dinner, we need to make an announcement," he started.

"You two run off to Vegas and get married or something?" Cal joked.

Katniss shook her head. "No." She turned to Peeta, her eyes filled with panic. "I can't do this."

"It's kind of too late for that."

"No, it's not—I'll just hold it in or something!"

"I really doubt that you'll be saying that in six and a half months," he reasoned with her.

"What is going on, Peeta?" The couple turned to see Anna in front of them, hands on her hips.

"I'm pregnant," she said, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"It's mine," Peeta added.

"We figured." Richard joined them and put an arm around his wife. "I think dinner is ready."

"I'll join you after I'm done throwing up." Katniss rushed up the stairs noisily before the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut echoed through the house.

They all sat silently listening to her retching.

Will looked over at Peeta. "She's going to be an interesting addition to the family."

* * *

Katniss quietly walked down the stairs. She could hear the sounds of yelling coming from the dining room. Following the noise, she peeked around the wall to see Peeta sitting at the table, each parent sitting on one end.

"Are you sure this baby is yours?" Anna asked him.

"I'm sure." He stared straight ahead, not meeting their eyes. She could see the tiredness on his face. It was as if he had heard the lecture a thousand times before and in that moment, Katniss understood his unhappiness about coming to see his family.

He just never felt good enough for them.

"How could you do this to us?" his mother asked. "To yourself? You have so much potential and you just waste it away—"

"I KNOW THAT!" Peeta turned to his mother. "You remind every time I come here—every time. I'm never enough."

"Will you be enough for her? And to your child?" she responded.

Peeta thought for a moment before answering. "I don't know if I ever will be. But I will try every day of my life to be."

"Both of you need to calm down," Richard's voice echoed in the room. "Peeta, start from the beginning. We just need to understand the situation a little more."

Katniss backed away from her hiding place and then turned to go into the living room.

"Psst!"

She looked to her right to see Will beckoning her. He pointed to the front door.

Nodding, Katniss walked over to it. Gently turning the knob, she slipped out onto the porch where Cal sat on the steps.

He turned when the door clicked closed.

"Hey," he greeted. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Katniss sat down next to him. "What are you doing out here?"

"We're hiding." Will approached them from the corner of the house. "Slipped out from the back porch." He handed Katniss a bottle of water as he sat next to her. "Keep hydrated. So, morning sickness isn't really morning sickness, is it?"

"No—it's more like 'whenever the baby wants me to suffer' sickness."

"We're going to be uncles," Cal said thoughtfully. "Man, I feel old."

"Tell me about it! You know Mom is going to be nagging us to get married or something now," Will replied.

"So this shanghai is not just Peeta-related?" she asked.

"Oh no, sweetheart," Will laughed. "Peeta is probably the strongest out of all of us."

"He always did his own thing," Cal added. "Despite the nagging while we're all hiding balls high." He looked over at her. "Are you excited?"

"Scared shitless, actually," she replied and took a deep breath. "But Peeta helps—just by being there."

"Who's this?" She looked up to see a scraggly bearded man staring down at her.

"Peeta's baby mama," Cal joked and she glared at him. "Whoa, sorry—the mother of his child."

She stood up and offered her hand. "Katniss Everdeen."

He looked into her eyes for a moment before shaking it.

"Haymitch Abernathy, Peeta's godfather." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a flask. Opening it, he took a swig and then replaced the cap before returning it to his pocket. "Let's get in there and do some damage control."

* * *

"What's going on here?"

Peeta looked up to see his godfather standing at the open doorway and he breathed a sigh of relief. Haymitch always knew how to calm his Mom down.

Behind him stood Katniss and his brothers, and Katniss met his eyes.

She mouthed, 'You okay?' and he nodded calmly.

"Haymitch, talk some sense into him," his mother said. "I suppose they told you the predicament your godson has gotten himself into."

She looked over at Cal and Will.

The two men seem to shrink in her presence.

"No, I caught this pretty little thing trying to escape."

Haymitch nodded his head towards Katniss. She crossed her arms and glowered at him. He chuckled, then looked over at Peeta. "I suppose she belongs to you?"

"Only if she wants," Peeta said as he looked over at her.

She didn't think twice when she joined his side, taking his hand in hers.

"But Haymitch—"

"Anna, what's done is done," the man told her. "Now, can we sit down and eat?"

"He's right," Richard said firmly as he pulled out a chair for Katniss. "It's settled. Katniss looks like she's about to keel over, so we'd better get some food in her."

She sat down and looked up at Peeta's father. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Not many women look like they want to throw up when they meet me," he responded with a charming grin.

* * *

"That was fun," she remarked as they quickly drove away from the Mellark home.

"Yes, we should definitely have more of those family dinners," Peeta said wearily. He looked over at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, other than your mother wanting a paternity test and your brothers stealing the latest sonogram photos from me—I'll survive. What about you?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay," he replied. "I didn't tell them the truth about how we met, but I did tell Haymitch. He got a good laugh out of it. He likes you—thinks there's a lot of fire in you."

"Is that a good thing?"

He reached for her hand. "He thinks we're a good balance. Haymitch partied in the Haight back in the seventies; he's all about the natural elements, yin and yang and stuff like that."

"I suppose he thinks you're like water," she scoffed and Peeta nodded. "When you want, you can bring the heat." He shrugged off-handedly. "I mean it; I heard you in the dining room with your parents—you can hold your own when you want to. I was proud of you."

He was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Katniss, do you think that one day I'll be good enough for you?"

"Pull over."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Peeta pulled over onto the shoulder of the dirt road. It was a familiar lookout point that he would often visit when he was younger, mostly to get away from his family.

He turned to her after he parked. "What?"

"If I wasn't carrying our child and you said that to me—I would smack the shit out of you," she said before taking a deep breath and blowing it out. "But I'm going to stay calm because all of this stress is probably not helping us."

Katniss looked at him, her eyes glittering despite the darkness around them. "I meant it when I said I was all in—and not just as parents, but us together—as a couple." She turned to him and tucked her feet under her bottom. "All you have to do is try—that will always be enough for me."

"If you're not careful, I might fall in love with you," Peeta told her.

She leaned forward so their lips could meet and his hand traveled to her shoulder. The simple feel of the pad of his thumb moving up and down her shoulder caused a fire to spread throughout her insides.

Peeta worried that he wasn't good enough for her—or strong enough.

The truth of the matter was that he could easily break her if he wanted to.

Not that she would_ ever_ tell him that.

Instead, Katniss pulled away and gave him a teasing grin.

"I think you might be getting there."

* * *

So pregnancy sex is safe most of the time… but be sure to consult your doctor, since I'm not one.

In very rare cases, blowing in the vagina during oral sex can result in an air embolism that can be fatal to both mother and baby.

Do you like the Mellarks? I think they have an interesting dynamic.

On a side note, Russian River is around Sonoma County and there are camp sites there, as well as lodges.

I intended for you to also meet the Everdeens in this chapter, but I just felt like they would need more time devoted to them, too.

Their visit will require another road trip.

Haymitch finally showed up—yay! It was a small meeting, but he does have other appearances in upcoming parts.

Some readers worried that I would make Peeta more like Seth Rogan's character—a little bit of a man child. Yes, there are aspects of that in the story, but I think there are other motives for his nature. Katniss herself is slightly Type A, so let's see how she deals with her own feelings about motherhood and Peeta.

Thank you for all your comments and reviews—they mean a lot.

Please feel free to stop by my Tumblr just to say hello. The link is on my profile page!

Next: Eleven and a half weeks — we tell the other parents. And Gale's parents…and Johanna's parents.

Until then,

JLaLa


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